China attends 142nd session of WHO Executive Board

A Chinese delegation, including officials from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, participated in the 142nd session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) held in Geneva, Switzerland from January 22 to 27.

Chinese delegates also held more than 10 talks with senior officials from international organizations including the WHO and some countries' delegations.

More than 800 representatives, from 34 member states of the Executive Board and nearly 100 non-Executive Board member states as well as inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, attended the meeting.

Assad Hafeez, the chief health officer of Pakistani Ministry of Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, acted as the chairman of the session.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom delivered a report to the Executive Board, noting that the year of 2018 is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the WHO, the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Alma-Ata Declaration and the 100th anniversary of the Spanish flu pandemic.

“The WHO is formulating the 13th General Program of Work that will further push forward universal health coverage, improve the response capacity for emergencies and put focus on nations,” he said. He added that to implement the program, the WHO must reform thoroughly, “We hope that member states will make efforts to support it.”

Meeting participants deliberated on more than 30 topics such as the reform of the WHO and public health emergency response. The meeting approved the draft of the 13th General Program of Work.